Saturday, November 29, 2008

It's like ages since my last posting. I was down with flu and needed to rest especially my tired eyes. Despite my weak condition, I attended The DAP Victory Dinner (cum DAP Building Fund) last night (Fri 28 Nov) at the Han Chiang school field, Penang. Our blogger friend Romerz was gracious enough to give me a free ticket with transport thrown in!! Honestly, it was my first time attending a DAP dinner party, although I am unashamedly and proudly a rockhard (diehard?) DAP supporter all my life. All those who know me are aware of my unreserved support of DAP all these years.

I remember during one devastating evening following the announcement of the election results in Penang, Lim Kit Siang lost his Parliamentary seat. I have forgotten which year, but for those who have good memory will attest that. I was at the Esplanade where the results were announced. Of course all the DAP supporters were very disappointed. While I was walking back, I was surprised to see Uncle Lim walking away as well. I will always remember this incident because it was surprisingly quiet along the dimly lit street. I think there was no one else except for me and Uncle Lim in front of me. I felt a chill down my spine. A feeling of great honour to "meet" him in person, and the horror of why he was being ALONE. Where were all his close supporters?? Being by nature a very shy person, I did not approach him to shake his hands , but just let the opportunity slide away. It was one of my greatest regret!!

Now coming back to the DAP dinner last night, it was a world of difference. The centre stage Dragon Dance, Penang's Who Is Who in the business world, and the surprise of the century...Datuk Zaid Ibrahim!!... Yes! Datuk Zaid Ibrahim of UMNO; not a typo error. He not only attended the dinner function, he gave a refreshing speech as well. His main message was that all of us must think as Malaysians first and not our different races. If we can think as Malaysians, we shall progress. With this message, he also told us that since he was now "unemployed" he has been concentrating on his newly set-up Foundation, called "My Future" ("My" for Malaysia) which he would spearhead targeting the young generation to teach them how to resolve problems in a civil and diplomatic manner instead of aggressive retaliation. We wish him all the best.

On the business scenario, well, businessmen are businessmen, just like politicians are politicians. To the politicians there is no such thing as a permanent enemy. To the businessmen there is no such thing as a permanent good political party. Any party that holds sway in the government is a good party. "Yesterday" was Gerakan in Penang, "Today" it's DAP's turn. Every dog has its day! Before March 8, don't ever dream that the Who is Who in the Penang business community can be seen a kilometer near any DAP function. Last night the unthinkable happened! Tan Sri Lim Gaik Tong (of Farlim) sat beside Uncle Lim and together raised arms in "victory"!

When the names of contributors were announced it sent shivers down my spine, maybe my flu was attacking. Names mentioned, like Sunshine (Tun DR Lim Chong Eu is the Chairman), and Hwang DBS (my former employer), struck me.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

"The country’s top Islamic body today ruled against Muslims practising yoga, saying it has elements of other religions that could corrupt Muslims."

I was flying my kite, when a friend told me the latest news above. Kite flying is my past-time hobby. As I know, kite-flying was first introduced in Timbuktu in 1070BC. During those times, according to research done by a well-known politician turned "Kitarogy" expert, there were elaborate rites and rituals surrounding the art of kite-flying.

By the way for those not very educated or intelligent like me, "Kitarogy" is the science and art of designing, making and flying kites. It also entails the hitting of big drums like those performed by the famous Kitaro. It is believed that before flying the kites, groups of young participants would strike the big drums making loud noises to warm up, and at the height of their ecstasy would engage themselves in sex orgies to culminate their elaborate rituals. That was why at that time Kite-flying was the most popular sport in many countries.

Hence the term "Kitarogy" comes from the combinations of Kite, Kitaro and Orgy. To make matters more complicated, the correct pronunciation is a subject of contention. The British pronounce as Kit Taro Jee. The Yankees as usual try to antagonise the British, and pronounce as Kite Tero Jai. The Japanese pronounce as Kit Arso Jee. And in Malysia, depending on your race and dialect, pronunciation is as diverse as "rojak". For examples, the Malays will say Kita Taruh Sini. The Hokkien Chinese like me will prefer to call it Ki Talok See, literally means "Go where die"!

But never mind, over the years Kitarogy has evolved and embraced many beliefs of different religions and cultures. Talking about different cultures, our Kelantan Kites are one of the most beautiful version.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Palm Island seen from a helicopter. The Atlantis Hotel is in the distance

Fantasy island: The Atlantis hotel has been built on an artificial island off the coast of Dubai

A view of the fireworks display at the Atlantis resort in Dubai to mark the opening of the new US$1.5 billion (RM5.4 billion) marine-themed resort built off the Gulf coast on an artificial island in the shape of a palm tree. — AP pic

DUBAI, Nov 21 — Dubai developers threw a US$20 million (RM72 million) party yesterday complete with Hollywood celebrities Robert DeNiro and Charlize Theron and fireworks that lit up the evening sky.

The party, which was headlined by Australian pop star Kylie Minogue in her Middle East debut, was to celebrate a new US$1.5 billion marine-themed resort built off the Gulf coast on an artificial island shaped like a palm tree.

Celebrities and stars such as Michael Jordan, Lindsay Lohan, Wesley Snipes, Mary Kate Olsen, Shirley Bassey and others were on hand for the festivities.

Healthy living involves consuming healthy foods, adequate exercise, and a relaxed mind. You don't need to spend a lot of money to exercise and to have a relaxed mind. But when it comes to health foods, they may cost a bomb. However some healthy foods are not expensive. One of them is psyllium seed husk.

I believe that healthy foods should possess 4 criteria:

1. Should not be too expensive and affordable.

2. Should be easily available.

3. Should be easy to prepare.

4. Should be palatable.

Psyllium husk passes the above test with flying colours!

Psyllium seed husk has been used in Indian Ayurvedic prescription for a very long time. It is only recently that it is better known to the western world.

Psyllium seed husk, also known as ispaghula or simply as psyllium, is the portion of the seeds of the plant Plantago or Plantago ovata, also known as Desert Indianwheat, native to India.

Why psyllium husk is effective for bowel problems?

The husk swells when it comes in contact with water. It can absorb anything that is 8-16 times its weight. Its bulky fiber quality makes it an effective laxative. Psyllium husk forms a gelatin-like mass in the colon, which keeps the bowel nice and soft. This mass also helps absorb toxins in the bowel.

Psyllium husk is indigestible in human beings and when dissolves in water, it expands and scrapes the walls of the intestine. It can be used as a bowel regulator, counteracting diarrhea, reducing constipation and promoting colon health.

As psyllium husk travels through the human digestive tract, it absorbs water, but is not digested. This results in stool that is bulkier, but softer, translating to fewer problems with passing stool.

It can be labelled as a neutral natural fiber, because it can be used for both constipation and diarrhea.

Psyllium husk also comes in capsule form, taken as a supplement. Or it can be converted into powder.

I take it with my freshly prepared fruit juice. I take 1 tablespoon, while my wife takes 2 tablespoons. Just use your discretion.

I personally found that my bowel movements have improved, if nothing else.

Here in Malaysia, you can buy husk which has been ground into coarse powdered form, from any Indian mini market or sundry store. It's usually cheaper than those sold in the pharmacies. I take the powdered form which is easier to mix and to drink. It certainly adds an extra "feel" with my fresh juice, just like having the crushed pulps of the fruits.

Sitchin's theory proposes the planets Tiamat and Nibiru. Tiamat supposedly existed between Mars and Jupiter. He postulated that it was a thriving world in a much differently shaped solar system, with jungles and oceans, whose orbit was disrupted by the arrival of a large planet or very small star (less than twenty times the size of Jupiter) which passed through the solar system between 65 million and four billion years ago. The new orbits caused Tiamat to collide with one of the moons of this object, which is known as Nibiru. The debris from this collision are thought by the theory's proponents to have variously formed the asteroid belt, the moon, and the current incarnation of the planet Earth.

Beginning in 1995, websites such as ZetaTalk have identified Nibiru or "Planet X" as a large brown dwarf currently within our planetary system, soon to pass relatively close to Earth. Sitchin disagrees with the timing of passage.[2]

Sitchin hypothesizes it as a planet in a highly elliptic orbit around the Sun, with a perihelion passage some 3,600 years ago and assumed orbital period of about 3,750 years; he also claims it was the home of a technologically advanced human-like alien race, the Anunnaki, who apparently visited Earth in search of gold.]

I don't have the intellectual capacity to explain, but the wonders of You Tube solve it all!

After watching the videos below, you can go direct to other You Tube videos of same topic.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Who is this strange couple?? (Picture from blog below)(Mary Menth Andersen & husband)

I received an interesting email relating an episode 20 years ago about how a black stranger helped a white lady in distress at the airport in Miami. Here is a 'copy & paste' condensed version:

[At the airport in Miami, at the check-in counters. When it was finally Mary’s turn, she got the message: -You’ll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway, the man behind the counter said.Mary had no money. Her new husband had travelled ahead of her to Norway, and she had no one else to call.I started to cry, tears were pouring down my face and I had no idea what to do. Then I heard a gentle and friendly voice behind me saying, That’s OK, I’ll pay for her.Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before.-He had a gentle and kind voice that was still firm and decisive.

She was thrilled to be able to bring both her suitcases to Norway and assured the stranger that he would get his money back. The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper that he gave to Mary. ]

Who was that man? You guess it right....BARACK OBAMA!

Nowadays, a lot of boogie stories in the internet. So I Google Search and found the source of this interesting and inspiring story.

You can Google Search "Leisha's Random Thoughts" and find out for yourself.The original blog "Leisha's Random Thoughts" is HERE:

"This was so because even Abdullah was seen to abuse his position and power to help his son and son-in-law's businesses," he stated, referring to such companies as Scomi, in which his son Kamaluddin Abdullah is involved in and ECM Libra, which his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin is linked to.

"Everyone knows about the RM200 given to delegates to the Kubang Pasu division so that they did not vote me to be a delegate at the 2006 Umno General Assembly," Mahathir said.

"It is clear that corruption has become part of Umno culture at all levels. This will cause Umno to lose the confidence of the people.

He further stated that Abdullah had succeeded him in Oct 2003 and in five months, won big at the 11th General Elections with 90 per cent of MPs from the ruling coalition and took back Terengganu as well as nearly regaining Kelantan from Pas.

"This shows that the BN he inherited was very healthy," Mahathir concluded and added that the Permatang Pauh by-election was further proof as "members were afraid to wear the badge and shirts of Umno or BN."]

[We have all heard about what happened at the anti-ISA vigil in PJ and also those peaceful successful ones in Ipoh and Seremban. Well its our turn next, this Saturday, 15 November at the Esplanade.

Even though RPK is no longer under ISA detention at the moment, the fact is 60+ others are and worse still, the ISA remains as a weapon of an unjust government to use whenever it feels threatened. We have to let the ruling class know that a democratic and just Malaysia must evolve past the draconian ISA, enacted during the communist insurgency.

And we can do this best by getting ordinary Malaysians involved in telling our government, in no uncertain terms, that we wish to evolve as a country and as a people, even though some of the ruling class are adamant to remain in the stone age.

I've heard both YB Mujahid and Gary Nair speak before and they are excellent speakers. I can assure you that if both of them are true to form, not only will you be entertained but more importantly, you might just leave the vigil a little wiser.]

Do your part, stand up and be counted.I shall be there. 8 pm sharp if not earlier.

Then I suddenly thought of Tai Chi while I was practising my Chi Gong. You know Tai Chi movements are very syncronized and balanced. I also practised Tai Chi before so I am quite familiar with the movements. With right arm raised, the left one is lowered. With the right leg raised, the left bears all the weight. And vice versa. It is also called the Yin Yang movement; with a harmony of a pull of positive energy inwards and a corresponding push of attacking force.

All movements are circular in motion neutralising resisting force. Despite the movements, once the whole set is completed, the person will be back to his original position. In terms of strategic maneuver, he doesn't gain an inch. But when he is back to square one, his whole body is being energized from the pugilistic exercise.

What has this got to do with Anwar? I think he is practising political Tai Chi. With his initial aggressive stance he was like moving up his right hand and kicking with his right leg. Then he gave excuses just like moving down his other hand and putting pressure on his other leg. And then he threatened, just like pushing the attacking force. Finally when the attack failed, he retrieved his energy back! After kicking here and there, yelling high and low, he was back to square one. We didn't gain anything except some excitement watching the show, but he profited with the media exposure.

Isn't this just like Tai Chi?

Well never mind if you don't agree or are getting confused.

By the way Anwar is keeping very quiet nowadays; perhaps he is practising meditation this time!